This test is highly suitable for children, as only a small blood sample is taken from the finger using a tiny disposable lancet (they won’t even see the needle) and we are armed with stickers and “funky” band-aids, should they be required. We can also order food intolerance testing for hundreds of different foods, food additives, environmental chemicals, moulds and other environmental inhalants, however these tests require blood collection at a pathology centre.

Food Intolerance or Allergy, what is the difference?

Food intolerances are quite common and it is estimated that up to 45% of the population may experience them. Many people with food intolerance have more than one symptom and react to more than one food. It is important to mention that food intolerances may not be the main cause of your symptoms as they may be a secondary effect of leaky gut (or intestinal permeability), however eliminating moderate or severely reactive foods whilst healing our gut can give you some much needed relief. Our aim is to reduce symptoms, heal your gut and then gradually reintroduce these foods to build tolerance and ensure you are eating a wide variety of foods as quickly as possible. In our opinion, long-term restrictive diets generally do more harm than good.

Symptoms of food intolerances can be vagueand delayed, making it very difficult to elicit the problem food or foods. When someone with a food intolerance is exposed to their problem food, they may not have a reaction for a number of hours or even days. Also, the severity of the reaction may vary, with some people having minor symptoms such as feeling tired or having a foggy head, while others have urgent diarrhoea or migraine. Many people don’t realise that the symptoms they have been experiencing are due to food intolerances, until they remove the offending food/s and notice their persistent symptoms disappear.

The symptoms of food intolerances can be delayed for many hours or even days, making it difficult to identify the problem foods.

In contrast, food allergies are quite rare, with only about 2.5% of the population being diagnosed with the condition. The most common instances of food allergy are to wheat, peanuts, tree nuts (almonds and Brazil nuts), eggs, milk, fish and shellfish. When someone who is allergic is exposed to the provoking food, their body makes specific antibodies (IgE) to “attack” the allergens found in these foods, so when the food is next eaten it triggers an immune system response, which results in the release of histamine and other inflammatory naturally-occurring chemicals. Allergic reactions to food can vary considerably in their presentation and severity from hayfever to anaphylaxis (airway closure) and generally require long-term (or even life-long) elimination.

How does this test vary from the common skin scratch test?

The scratch test screens for IgE allergy reactions and the procedure involves a small amount of the food (or environmental irritant) being placed just under the skin. If the skin reacts to that particular food, then it is deemed an allergy, with the stronger the reaction the more severe the allergy.

Food intolerance testing measures reactions by a different antibody called IgG, and this test requires a small amount of blood from a finger prick. This blood is then prepared and added to a special testing tray containing individual wells with the protein extracts of the foods being tested. In subsequent steps, different solutions are added resulting in a colour change, depending of the severity of the reaction. If you have an intolerance to the food, the IgG antibodies in your blood will bind to the specific food spot resulting in a colour change. The more antibodies present in your blood, the darker the colour change. On the other hand, if there is no colour change we know that your blood didn’t contain an antibody to the food tested. The tray is for single use only and also contains a positive and negative control to ensure the viability of the test.

It is possible to be both allergic and intolerant to the same food, however this is not always the case.

Why don’t you recommend hair testing for intolerances?

Hair intolerance testing has recently become popular however there appears to be no scientific evidence to support it and we could not find any rational explanations on how it works or on its “potential” accuracy. Testing companies apparently test for energy changes in the hair (according to homeopathic principles) and “some how” link this to specific reactions to foods. Considering that hair is actually not living, it is difficult for us to grasp how you can measure energy changes to hundreds of different food potentially eaten months ago (especially since hair takes a long time to grow).

Food intolerances are likely a result of a leaky gut

Food intolerances are highly linked with intestinal permeability (or leaky gut). Damage to the gut lining can result in larger protein molecules crossing into your blood stream and triggering your immune system to produce IgG antibodies against the “invading” food. Therefore healing your gut can also reduce or eliminate your intolerance to that food. That is why you should always work to improve your gut health and not just eliminate reactive foods.

Symptoms of food intolerances may include:

Anxiety and/or heart palpitations

Arthritis and Joint pain

Asthma

Bloating

Fatigue and lethargy

Constipation and bloating

Diarrhoea especially with urgency

Fibromyalgia

Gastritis, reflux or heart burn

Headaches or migraines

Incontinence (fecal and urinary) – may include bed wetting

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Eczema or dermititis

Malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies

Sleep Disturbances

Fluid Retention

Weight Control Problems

Brain fog and poor concentration

Book Food Intolerance Testing with an Initial Functional Medicine Consultation

This is a 90 minute Functional Medicine Consultation including Food Intolerance Testing. We not only see if you are reacting to common foods in your diet but we also dig deep to identify any additional causes of your current health concerns and if you do have food intolerance, we aim to address their underlying causes (such as leaky gut or SIBO). You will leave with a new outlook and a personal treatment plan to get you started.